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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24854629">Autumn in Our Backyard</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamewithtwolegs/pseuds/shamewithtwolegs'>shamewithtwolegs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>learning to heal here in our war-torn motherland [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Air Nomads (Avatar), Air Nomads Culture, Fire Nation, Gen, Genocide, Museums, Post-War, can be read as a stand-alone, pinch of politics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:35:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24854629</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamewithtwolegs/pseuds/shamewithtwolegs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes to heal means re-opening old wounds that have scarred over to heal an even deeper infection.</p><p>Fire Lord Zuko's new curriculum was Fire Nation's newest scandal.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zuko &amp; Fire Nation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>learning to heal here in our war-torn motherland [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772065</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>414</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Autumn in Our Backyard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>By Fire Lord Zuko’s second year on the throne, a new curriculum was implemented. There have been small adjustments in education before, the most scandalous before now was the order to remove the Fire Lord pledge in classroom rituals. Many who call themselves preservers of traditions were the most outspoken ones, Fire Lord Zuko simply ignored them. There were two views on this move: either Fire Lord Zuko was a cool-headed leader or he was a spineless wimp who couldn’t make old men shut up.</p><p>Starting this school year, teaching the subject of Air Nomads genocide will become mandatory. Also, the school must either organize a visit to one of the Air Nomads Temple or the Air Nomads Memorial Museum (the outrage that came from building that was a whole other can of centipede-worms).</p><p>First, silence. The Air Nomads were a taboo subject to talk about in-depth. Air Nomads Genocide? Everyone old enough to know something was going on goes pearl clutching. No one talked about them except in a brief semester of school, talk about it in private and you were shushed. </p><p>Second, resounding outrage. Parents made a boycott, refusing to enroll their children in any Fire Nation School, going as far as to send them away to the Earth Kingdom for education. Those who can’t afford to do so expressed their disapproval loudly. Some say that the Fire Nation does not need this, it is not an important part of Fire Nation history. Not even part of our history we don’t learn about Water Tribe or the Earth Kingdom in-depth either. Many tried to appeal to Fire Lord Zuko. What about the thousands killed by the Earth Kingdom soldiers? What about those drowned by the Water Tribe pirates? We don’t learn about them in classrooms so why should we teach our children about the Air Nomads? Why did the Air Nomads have to be so special?</p><p>Fire Lord Zuko will not be defeated. He weathered.</p><p>Besides the outspoke resistance on his orders there was a more subtle way of resisting. He has the power of law-making and so his resolute words must be obeyed. Some educators tried their best to be as vague as possible when teaching about it, just general information. But this is not about the resistance, this is about remembrance.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The Air Nomads Memorial Museum was built in imitation of the Southern Temple Spires, only upright and rooted in the ground. Smack-dab on the border of Caldera its color of yellow and orange looks out of place. Give it time and it will belong. </p><p> </p><p>The most frequent visitors are educators and school-aged children and teens. Sometimes begrudgingly. The guards and caretakers wore fire nation red.</p><p>The visitors will be greeted by a statue of Monk Gyatso. </p><p>The guide introduced him. “This is Monk Gyatso, Master Airbender, Lover of Fruit Pies, and Avatar Aang’s airbending teacher.”</p><p>The children will oooh appropriately. Teens will either look begrudgingly impressed or horrified by the degradation of Fire Nation culture. The latter half will end up either resentful or thoughtful by the end of their tour.</p><p>The guide urged them closer. She hid a smirk behind her sleeve and subtly pushed down a pedal beside the statue with a leg. Monk Gyatso’s statue creaked, the inside mechanism of wheels whirring. It kneeled and pulled a fruit pie out of nowhere to offer its visitors. </p><p>She will never tire of their screams. Fire Lord Zuko was the best for making this experience mandatory. Before they go any further she had them pick a name from a chest.</p><p>“In our tour, you can look upon the names in your hand in the lists.”</p><p>Pass the foyer was a blend of Fire Nation architecture and Air Nomads architecture. Rooms are red but more hole-y than usual. The food section of the museum was interactive, it wasthe most popular part of the museum.</p><p>“The recipes are accurate, we ]had Avatar Aang taste test before we opened. We came upon the recipes from dusty cookbooks from all over the world but this fruit pie came directly from Avatar Aang.” She gestured for them to sit down. Food was prepared on a large platter, it was gone in minutes. The server bowed at them when he collected the plates, two of the fingers from his left hand was gone, an ugly burned stump in its place.</p><p>Little known fact, the museum also doubles as a homeless shelter. The food was free and some worked in the museum as volunteers. </p><p>People were surprised to find that their beloved staple of butter tea came from the Air Nomads. They are also surprised to find that the Western and Southern branches of the Air Nomads used chopsticks as well - Fire Nation custom.</p><p>They came upon the clothing section next. Imitation of monk and nuns’ robes propped by detailed wood. This was also the section where Guide Sora spoke the most.</p><p>“The Air Nomads believe in free love without the limitation of gender and quantity as long it is consensual it is allowed.”</p><p>They were gasped of disgust and surprised. She heard some pretty racist mutters, she ignored them in favor of a boy raising his hand. </p><p>His shoulders are hunched, and his voice hesitant while he fiddled with the hem of his sleeves. “They didn’t think there’s anything wrong with boys liking boys?”</p><p>“Or girls liking girls, or both, or none, or many.” She confirmed.</p><p>By the end of the section, they came upon a list. She had them look for their match. Names of Air Nomads her team had confirmed the existence of, from anecdotes, the few records the Air Nomads kept, and survived account from their international friends.</p><p>“Mine’s the inventor of the dragon kite!” One kid boasted.</p><p>“Yeah? Well, mine’s the pioneer of the Super Duper Strong Tornado Technique!” another upped.</p><p>“You made that up.” The kid complained until he looked on the list and confirmed that it, in fact, said that.</p><p>The teacher whose face was etched in a permanent twist twisted even more. </p><p>“Who did you get?” prompted Guide Sora as they stood on the side watching the children swarmed the wall. </p><p>“Plachut,” the teacher answered. She sighed. “ It said he loved Pema.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>Policy dictates that the children not be allowed in the Sozin’s Comet section. Next year, when they come back Sora will them how they died. In detail. The sheltered kids were the worst when they found out. The names will be enough for now.</p><p>This is why Sora likes the children better they don’t argue with century-old propaganda and call her a liar as much as the teens and older.</p><hr/><p>Guide Sora was handpicked by Fire Lord Zuko himself to be the director of the Air Nomads Memorial Museum.</p><p>She remembered the heart attack Avatar Aang gave her (that she coped by gleefully terrifying children at the entrance) when he came to personally fetched her from the Fire Nation National University. She was the first scholar brave enough to write about the Air Nomads under Fire Lord Zuko’s reign. If it was any other the best outcome would have been for her teacher or publisher to pull her aside and burn her work, the worst would be enlistment and her research mysteriously disappearing and ashes on its place.</p><p>She knew so little yet she was considered the expert. She’ll try her best. At the end of the tour, she ended it the way she always did in the past four months. </p><p>"Scholar Sakura from the Fire Nation National University wrote extensively on the subject of Air Nomads spirituality before their genocide. Fire Lord Sozin ordered her work seized and burned, few have survived, mainly drafts. Scholar Sakura scattered her work among her extensive progeny. One of the surviving drafts said this of the Air Nomads: <em>“I believe the world needs to listen to the Air Nomads more. Particularly the passionate and aggressive. According to Monk Phachut desire is like the moon in a river. What we desire, we distort the nature of. That is why happiness cannot come from the attainment of desire but letting go of it. In my brief time as his student, he gave me words to meditate upon. Do not desire. Do not fear. Do not be bewildered. This is a line whispered to an Air Nomad. The Air Nomads believed during the afterlife the person must journey through a series of challenges and they must be reminded of the wisdom of liberation to come out victorious in their afterlife. Do not desire. Do not fear. Do not be bewildered. Monk Phachut taught me to transform my passion into compassion, my aggression into strength. If Water Tribes be the healer of damage to the mind and body, I believe that perhaps Air Nomads can be the healer of damage to the soul.”</em></p><p>She bowed and left them to wonder and wander. They went to the last and second list on the wall. The names from the first were there but no other interesting tidbits or fun facts. Just a short message from the Fire Lord’s uncle.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Separation is an illusion, we are all branches of the same tree. Our nation mourned your deaths and a thousand more unaccounted and names are forgotten. Avatar Aang told me that you would not be angered by your banishment into obscurity as you were all taught that all things are transient. Still, after the war, we wish to remember you. May you all rest in peace and other victims of the war. – Prince Iroh </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>In the museum is a meditation hall all were free to enter and think. There are candles for firebenders to meditate on. On the anniversary of its opening Avatar Aang led the meditation.</p><p> </p><p>He made them all sit in the lotus position and allowed them to stretch if it hurts. He told the story of a Fire Nation noble from a long ago. He said that the man was plagued with fear and grief after his wife and child died of Fire pox. Aang told them of how he shook and how his shoulders are heavy and how his eyes are always sad. He sought the counsel of the revered Monk Pema, he studied under her for years. But still, his fear remained. He asked her, “Master, how do I overcome fear.” Monk Pema replied “You do not overcome fear. Go to the hut by the River Ankh and meditate.” And so he went when he got there to sit and ready to meditate a great King Serpent Spider appeared hissing at him. He froze but didn’t move. He continued to meditate and he <em>realized.</em> He broke down crying, the King Serpent Spider still with him until he fell asleep. When he woke up, the King Serpent Spider was gone and so was his ignorance.</p><p> </p><p>The people were quiet. Aang asked them what did they think that man realized? No one answered but the contemplative look on their faces was all he wanted. Some broke down crying for a reason they do not yet know.</p><p> </p><p>Aang smiled serenely. The Air Nomads are still alive, there will be no need for this memorial they are not yet gone. As long as they’re wisdom was still needed and saught, they will be here still.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Air Nomads belief system and culture were largely based on real-life Tibetan Buddhists. The: Do not fear. Do not desire. Do not be bewildered. Came from the Tibetan Book of the Dead (a translation filled with errors and available for free so do not take fanfic as gospel). The story Aang told to meditate upon was based on a story told by Pema Chodron in their book: When Things Fall Apart. I do not claim to be an expert. The name picking was inspired by the stories from the internet I found on German Holocaust Museums. </p><p> </p><p>Thank you all for the comments in the first part of the series I don’t know how to respond but know I appreciate it and helped me get through the day. Comments and criticism are welcome, help this wannabe author improve. You can point out grammar mistakes, the author is not a native speaker and had never spoken to a native speaker in real life.</p><p> </p><p>I hope y’all safe wherever you at. I’m just gonna ramble a bit. I’m scared there’s a bill in my country called the Anti-Terror Bill. Mark my words that when it passed it will be used to silence critics and activists (not that they needed it before but it’ll help legitimize the practice). I don’t know what I can do except raising awareness to those who will listen, we can’t protest because of quarantine and COVID. If anyone will listen and express support somehow then hopefully, maybe the pressure will result to . . . something.</p><p>That out of the way. Um, I hope y’all like it!</p><p> </p><p>Tenderness. Remembrance. Peace.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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